SPEED, AGILITY, & QUICKNESS DRILLS

(Ron Jones, MS, ACSM Health/Fitness Instructor, Corporate Wellcoach)

SAQ Drills: Most of the drills below are usually marked with cones, but you can use tennis balls cut in half or just about anythingjust come up with a cheap target that you can see and that will do just fine. I have attempted to break the drills up into categories but note that speed, agility, and quickness (as well as plyometrics) are closely related and sometimes overlap in the various drills. For example, I might have one drill listed under Agility but it also has a lot to do with Quickness. Dont get hung up on the terminologyjust get out there and do them with max effort! Remember, SAQ requires max effort so you can simulate the actual event situation. If you do them at half speed without max effort then you wont develop what they are designed to develop. Do them well with MAX EFFORT or dont do them at all! SPEED: Speed is basically about max velocity or how fast you can run. Generally, max speed development requires about 6-8 seconds at max or near max effort with a full rest recovery so your heart rate is about normal before beginning the next exercise. Dont run speed drills slowrun them FAST! In & Out (Max Speed Development, transition acceleration & speed changes) 20 yard out, 15 yard in, 20 yard out, 15 yard in, walk back for rest Outs=easy @ speed & Ins=Max speed! Fly 30 Out 15, Fly in Max speed for 30, out 10 (55 total yards) 40-Yard Sprint First 10 yards: o Drive legs down hard and fast. o Stay at forward angle during initial acceleration. o Hold breath until 10 yards to stabilize hips, breath out, breath in, then hold until end of sprint while keeping about 90 forward lean. o Keep core solid & minimize lateral force leaks! Gear Stops (Speed Strength) If help is available, add reactive commands like flag, whistle, body movement of coach or partner to signal the stops. Stop according to step guidelines below. For example, start on flag, stop on flag command, go on whistle, then stop again on whistle or switch it up differently as desired. Mark stop zone #1 @ 15 yards & stop zone #2 @ 30 yards. After 2nd stop jog forward 15 yards to stop/start line; repeat coming back other way. o speed=3 steps (Hit speed by 15 yards, stop) o speed=5 steps (Hit speed by 15 yards, stop) o Full speed=7 steps (Hit full speed by 15 yards, stop) Assisted Run Drills for Speed Development Downhill (3-7 max degree decline) Uphill-to-Flat (5 degree incline) Uphill (20-35 incline) Stadium Stairs Sand Wind Aided Sleds/Tires Parachute Partner Tubing www.ronjones.org High-Performance Health 2007 Get Fit. Be Strong.

SPEED, AGILITY, & QUICKNESS DRILLS

(Ron Jones, MS, ACSM Health/Fitness Instructor, Corporate Wellcoach)

AGILITY: Think of good agility as your ability to transition from one movement into the next with control and coordination.
Squirm 360s (Transition & Change of Direction) Set cones @ 5 & 10 yards then laterally @ 10 so total drill is similar to T shape. Run to first cone, keep hand on top of cone and do 360 to left, go to second cone and repeat to right, to end cone and cut laterally and finish with 10 yard HARD sprint. In & Out Set cones about 5 yards in front of you in pairs so that you mark a square in/lateral out/back area for cutting. Keep hips square to front of drill. Shuffle laterally around cones. Snake Set two lines of cones in Zig-Zag pattern about 5 yards apart. Sprint around the outside of each cone. As you go around, decelerate, drop hips, and reach down to touch top of cone then accelerate to next and repeat. 15 Yard Turn Drill (3 Point) Set cones in triangle about 5 yards apart. Sprint to first cone then cut around the outside and back to next cone. Cut to the inside of second cone then backspin around as you point yourself back to the third cone. Sprint hard to the final cone. Z-Pattern Cut & Run Set cones in two lines about 5 yards apart. Line 1 cones are @ 0, 10, & 20 yards. Line 2 cones are @ 5, 15, & 25 yards. Sprint diagonally across to cone then cut with outside foot and go back across to next cone. Cut & Spin Cut diagonally across inside of cone. Spin on back side then run for next cone. Slalom Ski Jump With legs together jump back and forth over rope or line using knee flexion to absorb shock. 20-Yard Shuttle Run Start by straddling start line in middle, turn and sprint right to line, touch line then turn left sprinting past center line to other side, touch line and turn right as you sprint back to center starting line. With a 20 yard shuttle, the end lines are 10 yards apart. Starting from the middle you go 5, then back across for 10, then back to middle for another 5 getting a total of 20 yards with 3 changes of direction. T-Drill Sprint forward 10, lateral shuffle right 5, lateral shuffle left 10, lateral shuffle right 5 (back to center) then backpedal 10 to start line.

www.ronjones.org High-Performance Health 2007 Get Fit. Be Strong.

SPEED, AGILITY, & QUICKNESS DRILLS

(Ron Jones, MS, ACSM Health/Fitness Instructor, Corporate Wellcoach)

QUICKNESS: Being quick is related to speed but not the same. You might be able to run fast if you have enough time to increase your speed, but how fast can you move off the line? This is quickness. If you can perform a task in a brief amount of time, you are quick. Many sport plays never allow enough time for max velocity, so quickness is actually more important! Many of the drills throughout the handout have something to do with quickness so there are not many listed below. However, you can make your drills more quickness related by adding some of the following reactive components. Also note that the PLYO DRILLS are very quickness related because you have to move explosively in a very short amount of time.
Reactive Components If you have a partner or someone to help, add reactive components to many of your SAQ and PLYO drills. Your ability to react to these in a short amount of time is quickness. You can use visuals like hands, flags, body movements or auditory signals like whistles and voice commands. Have fun with these, but know that they are really serious and VERY productive for enhancing sport performance! Sprint/Backpedal (Reaction Quickness & Change of Direction) Mark off about 30 yards. Start drill with signal. On command spring forward or backpedal (coachs choice) until next whistle then change directions until next whistle again. See example: o START: Forward sprint>whistle>stop & backpedal>whistle>stop & sprint>whistle>stop & backpedal>whistle>stop & sprint to finish! o Dont cheat by anticipating whistle and slowing down ahead of timeopponents will never give you this courtesy! o *Vary the amount of time between whistles to add more reactive challenge. o Add a lateral shuffle to add multi-planar challenge. Speed Ladder (improve timing, turnover, transition, & speed development) Straight Run Through Straight In & Out Lateral In & Out Various Other Drills (There are many!) Medicine Balls Various Throwing/Reactive Drills Partner Wheelbarrow Drills (Add multiple directions) Hand Walks Hand Hops Hand Jumps Hand Reaction Drills Hot Hands Card Release/Snatch Turn & Catch Ball Bob & Weave Combative Drills
Ron Jones (9.5.07)

www.ronjones.org High-Performance Health 2007 Get Fit. Be Strong.